Pretty Rock Part III
by Spaceman Bill
Summary: In a hunt for the spawn of Unicron, two Predacons develop a surprising relationship.


Pretty Rock Part III  
  
"Ooooh, pretty." Antagony said. "I never expected the mighty Megatron to collect jewels."  
"That is no ordinary 'pretty jewel!'" Megatron shouted at her from his command chair. They were communicating via comm-link, but the yell could be heard from every point in the ship. "Put it back into the containment cell. I have a mission for you and Inferno."  
Inferno ran over to the communicator. "You request me, Royalty?"  
"You and Antagony have a very *special* mission, yes."  
"I do as you command, my queen!" Inferno barked.  
"Yeah, whatever," Antagony sighed.  
"You're going on a little hunt."  
"Foraging, Royalty?"  
"No, Inferno, you're hunting something much greater than what you find in foraging!" Megatron sneered. "You're hunting Waspinator."  
Every Predacon working on the transmetallization machine stopped to stare at the screen in disbelief. Antagony was confused; Inferno just saluted.   
"Good luck, Inferno. I'm certain you won't let me down."  
  
***  
  
"Two Preds in sector Reeso, Boss-Monkey." Rattrap said, typing at his keyboard.  
"Which ones?" Optimus asked.  
"Inferno and the new one." Rattrap replied.  
"Any sign of Waspinator?"  
"Nope."  
Optimus frowned. Waspinator had evaded every scan and patrol of any sort. There was no telling when he'd strike next.   
"Keep an eye on them. Waspinator may show up yet." With that, Primal walked down the corridor to his quarters.  
He opened the door, stepping in. It resembled an office more than it did a bedroom. He had a view overlooking the valley, something that he found relaxing in terrible situations. But this time it didn't relax him at all.  
All Optimus could think about was his fallen comrades. Not even two stellarcycles here and already four were gone. Why was he chosen to be Primal? Why? He didn't deserve the title.   
"Troubled, Optimus?"  
He turned to look at Dinobot.  
"Yes. Yes I am." Optimus replied.  
"Emotion is the favored tool of Unicron. Remember that." Dinobot said.  
Optimus sighed. Dinobot was right, though he didn't wan't to admit it. Emotion was a devastating idea. And it was wreaking havoc on Optimus's mind.  
  
***  
  
"Now, why are we in robot mode?" Antagony asked.  
"To lure the beast." Inferno replied. "It is a rather simple method that is rarely used, despite its effectiveness. The only downside is that the Maximals can find us. Luckily, they will be too busy with repairs to bother with us--they're on the defensive."  
"You're smarter than one would think, Inferno." Antagony said, grinning slightly.  
"The Royalty trusts me for various reasons." Inferno chuckled, smirking. "There's a lot more to me than anyone thinks."  
The two continued trekking along. This was the first time Inferno actually had a conversation with somebody. He still was aware of the mission, much to Antagony's dismay.  
"So, why do you serve Megatron the way you do?"  
Inferno paused, giving Antagony an akward look. She returned a puzzled look.  
"You are not to question the the way I serve the queen! I fight for the colony! I serve the Royalty! Nothing comes first, second, or third! Absolutely nothing!"  
"Not even your friends?"  
"Friends? Bah! I require nothing of the sort!"  
Antagony stopped, whimpering. Inferno halted, quirking an optibrow.   
"I liked you, Inferno...apparently you're not the type to return the favor."  
She turned on her heel and started walking away, leaving a confused Inferno standing there. Alone.  
"Antagony..."  
  
***  
  
The freakish monster streaked about the jungle. Sporting a new set of claws, it enjoyed hacking away at the trees. All with the insanity of Waspinator, the recklessness of Cheetor, the tactical skills of Silverbolt, and the raw power of Rampage.   
"Wazzpinator zzenzzezz a zzpark..."  
Rushing through foliage and broken trees, it spotted its prey. The attractive form of the Predacon Antagony.  
"Oooh...Wazzpinator likezz thizz one!"  
  
***  
  
"They've split up."  
"So they have."  
Rhinox and Dinobot eyed the monitor carefully. They had been for countless megacycles.   
"Inferno has always been a loner. Perhaps he doesn't like company."  
"I doubt that, Rhinox. There must be some logic to this tactic, or--"  
"Or they're screwed. Look who decided to show up."  
Rhinox pointed to an icon close to Antagony's. "I'm guessing it's Waspinator. I can't identify it in beast mode."  
"I'm still curious how you've detected it at all," Dinobot said.  
"Waspinator is incredibly powerful. I suspect that the mutation had something to do with that disturbance we managed to pick up in a jamming zone." Rhinox replied. "With that kind of power, a very weak sensor could pick him up in any mode."  
"Then we're going to make sure no scanner can pick him up!" Optimus barked.  
Rhinox and Dinobot turned to him, puzzled.   
"What are you saying, Optimus? This isn't like you!" Rhinox said.  
"I know it's not like me. But I've been doing some thinking. Dinobot and I are going out there to make sure Waspinator claims no more lives, be they Maximal or Predacon!"  
Dinobot grinned and made his way to the elevator, followed by Optimus. "Wish us luck, Rhinox!" Optimus continued. Rhinox saluted in reply.  
When the elevator stopped, Optimus quickly leaped into his vehicle mode. With a sweeping motion, he gestured for Dinobot to hop on.  
"Better than the vermin..." Dinobot mumbled.  
  
***  
  
It was dark. And ever so quiet. Antagony felt calm, knowing Inferno would disregard her and continue his search. She needn't worry about him. She wasn't the queen, after all.  
The quiet disappeared when she heard rustling nearby. She turned, gun raised. The quiet returned. There Antagony stood, awaiting an attacker. Nothing. She sighed a breath of relief.  
"WAZZPINATOR, TERRORIZZZZZE!!!!"  
Out from the shodows burst the large, wretched form that was Waspinator. Now bigger than the late Rampage, he was incredibly intimidating. Especially to a Predacon who had never seen him before.  
"Agh! Y-you're Waspinator?!" She shrieked. Waspinator let loose a stream of maniacal laughter.   
"Wazzpinator not zzee pretty Ant-Bot before! Ooh, hoo hoo!" He cackled. He lurched toward her, slamming his crab claws together with each step. He drew his new three-barreled autogun, chuckling in his usual way. He thrust a massive claw for Antagony, locking her into his grip. Waspinator spread his mandibles, preparing to dig into her spark chamber.  
"Halt, fiend!"  
Waspinator spun around to eye Inferno, who's gun was raised. "Hurt her, and you answer to me!" Inferno snarled.  
"Why Ant-Bot worry about other Ant-bot? You were always the brooding loner!" Waspinator taunted. "Remember? 'Ant-Bot serve Royalty!'"  
"Put her down, mongrel."  
"Royalty this, Royalty that, blah blah bl--"  
"BURRRRRN, TRAITOR, BURRRRRRN!!!!"  
Inferno pulled the trigger, laughing insanely. Waspinator screamed as he soon was ablaze, surrounded by walls of fire. He released Antagony, who immediately ran over to Inferno.  
"You...you..."  
"Say no more, Antagony. Say no more."  
They held each other tightly. Inferno had never felt this way about another. Was this what they called love?  
The embrace was cut short by the arrival of Optimus Primal and Dinobot.   
"Optimus Primal, maximize!"  
"Dinobot, maximize!"  
The Maximals transformed and drew their weapons. Inferno readied his rifle, as did Antagony. Waspinator merely twitched in pain, still on fire.  
"Leave us, Maximals." Inferno growled.  
"I'll leave you in pieces!" Dinobot snarled. Optimus raised a hand, gesturing him to stop.  
"They are of no threat to us in this position." Optimus calmly said. "They aren't what we came for."  
"But they--"   
Optimus cut Dinobot off with a striking glare. Dinobot growled and stood down.   
"We have come for Waspinator."  
Inferno grinned and fired a quick shot at Optimus, hitting him in the chest. He atcivated his comm-link.  
"We have him, Royalty!" He barked.  
"Excellent work, Inferno! Now..." Megatron replied. "...To gain control of the renegade!"  
There was a strange, almost crunchy sound that emitted from the comm-link. Waspinator cried out in pain. He struggled against his invisible attacker, but it was all in vain. Inferno ran over to the aching giant, and motioned for Antagony to cover him.  
"By the Pit! They're capturing him!" Dinobot shouted. He ran towards Antagony, who was firing away, hitting Dinobot in various places. Dinobot collapsed. Optimus had recovered from the blow, but only to see Inferno and Antagony flying towards the Predacon base, with Waspinator in tow.  
Dinobot, moaning from the blasts weakening his limbs, looked to Optimus. "You realize what this means, don't you?"  
"Yes, Dinobot. It means Megatron has a new soldier with the strengths of unknown boundaries. In other words...we're slagged."  
  
***  
  
Waspinator looked up to a grinning Megatron. The hues of gold and brown had become the flag of pain and destruction.   
"What Megatron doing to Wazzpinator?"  
Megatron only chuckled and waved the clamp that held the remaining half of Rampage's spark. He squeezed it tightly and laughed as Waspinator writhed in pain.  
"You ripped out the spark of one of my most powerful soldiers and took it as your own. Did you really think you could get away with that? Such a fool." Megatron taunted as Waspinator shrieked. "Ah, how I enjoy your agony. It amuses me to see the perfect Predacon suddenly screaming in pain! Your life is now mine, Waspinator! And it always shall be!"  
  



End file.
